Education for All Texans

Protecting Students, Teachers and the Future of Texas

Every child in Texas deserves access to a strong public education, no matter their zip code or family income. Yet today, Texas spends about $13,000 per student annually, which is over $4,000 less than the national average. This underinvestment leaves classrooms overcrowded, teachers underpaid, and resources stretched thin.

Texas teachers are on the frontlines of our children’s future, yet they earn about $7,500 less than the national average each year. Many are forced to take second jobs just to make ends meet. If we want to attract and keep great educators, we need to pay them as professionals and give them the tools to succeed.

I believe public money belongs in public schools, and that investing in our children is the smartest investment we can make in Texas’s future. Private school vouchers are not only bad policy — they are unconstitutional. Our state constitution requires that public funds be used solely for public education, not diverted to private or religious institutions. Redirecting taxpayer dollars into private schools violates the principle of separation of church and state and undermines the very foundation of equal access to education for every child.

Additionally, the state manages a $56 billion Permanent School Fund — one of the largest education endowments in the nation — yet we use only a small portion of it each year. On top of this, Texas regularly runs multi-billion-dollar budget surpluses. Instead of sitting on those funds, we should put them to work for our kids.

With responsible use of these surpluses, smarter budgeting, and new revenue streams like legalized and taxed cannabis, we can increase per-student funding by $1,000–$2,000 each year. That money should go directly into classrooms: raising teacher pay, modernizing facilities, updating curriculum, and ensuring safe, supportive learning environments.

Strong schools build strong communities. Protecting public education means keeping public dollars where they belong — in public schools. Our Constitution makes it clear: education is a right for every Texan child, and I will fight to make sure every student has the opportunity to thrive.